Nazanin Zargarpour,

M.P.P., PH.D. + Founding Executive Director

Nazanin Zargarpour, M.P.P., Ph.D. (she/her), is a pioneering leader in the field of equity-focused systems change, bringing over 30 years of social justice-centered research, practice, and advocacy to her work. As the Founding President and CEO of the Learning Collaborative Institute (LCI), Dr. Zargarpour has championed cross-sector Learning Collaboratives that leverage meaningful data, engage the voices of marginalized communities, and align systems to ensure equitable opportunities for all. Her work spans diverse fields, including education reform, international development, and human trafficking victim services, all grounded in her unwavering belief in the inherent value and potential of every individual.

A scholar and practitioner, Dr. Zargarpour’s extensive expertise in driving evidence-based systems change has made her a trusted advisor to state governments on education policy and practice, and a key guide to national and state funders on strategies that promote equity for underserved populations. Her work has impacted people, practices, systems, policies, and communities—transforming the way organizations think about and achieve social and economic justice.

Dr. Zargarpour has spent 19 years as a professor at Claremont Graduate University, where she has taught, mentored, and guided the next generation of scholars in the Schools of Educational Studies and Social Science, Policy, and Evaluation. Her research expertise includes formative assessment, collaborative inquiry, and strategies to improve college and career success, particularly for low-income and first-generation students. A prolific researcher and thought leader, Dr. Zargarpour has served as the principal investigator on over $20 million in research and evaluation contracts and grants, providing strategic guidance and building capacity in more than 350 organizations.

Her innovative leadership has led to high-impact initiatives, including the Regional Learning Collaborative, which brings together 90+ education leaders and has resulted in a 600% increase in college attainment for over 140,000 low-income students annually. She is also the Founding President of Capacity To Impact, Inc., an applied research and evaluation firm dedicated to helping equity-focused organizations achieve transformational change through evidence-based methodologies.

Dr. Zargarpour holds a Ph.D. in Education Reform, Policy, and Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University and a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Southern California, with a focus on International Development Education in rural communities. Her work is grounded in cultural relevance, professional integrity, and a commitment to equity, making her a highly effective partner in advancing systems change and fostering inclusive, sustainable solutions for underserved communities.

Stephanie Baker,

M.A. + Capacity-Building Lead

Stephanie Baker, M.A., leads Institutional Capacity-Building at LCI. She designs training materials and resources, and leads training and coaching efforts with administrators and executives to build capacity in education partnerships to collaborate for equitable systems change. In this role she builds on 45 years of experience as an educator/administrator, including as Deputy Superintendent of a K-12 school district where she led Strategic Plan priorities and improvement efforts and advocated for inclusion and equity for all students. Her expertise is undergirded by a BS in Elementary Education from Oakwood University, an MA from Chicago State University, and California Administrative Credential certification from CSU/Fullerton.

Stephanie has 45 years of experience as an educator/administrator and learning leader in private and public PreK-12 settings, retiring in 2018 as the Deputy Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer of the Pomona Unified School District. She has served as a teacher, K-8 and middle school assistant principal and principal, as well as in director roles in professional development and state and categorical programs. Under her site and district leadership, many instructional initiatives and programs for strengthening both student and adult learning were successfully implemented, garnering numerous recognitions and awards for students, staff, schools and leadership. She implemented leadership development programs for new, aspiring, and experienced administrators, including the Great Leaders for Great Schools federally-funded grant program and the creation of the Pomona Administrator Clear Credential Program (PACCP), an approved California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) program to enable school administrators to achieve their California Tier II Administrative Clear Credential.

Stephanie's work focuses on school and system improvement, professional learning, leadership development, executive coaching, coach training, and network collaboration. She currently serves as a Senior Associate for Lead Learner Associates, providing executive coaching to secondary site administrators in Southern California's Inland Empire,  and certification training to coaches. As an Executive Consultant for Leadership Associates, she facilitates a series of leadership development workshops for assistant superintendents. With a focus on equitable access and opportunity for all, Stephanie serves on numerous local, state, and national educational and civic committees and has received recognition from various organizations, including the California Association of African American Administrators and Superintendents (CAAASA).

Stephanie highlights that the most inspiring part of her job at LCI is that she gets to continue her advocacy and support of equitable access and opportunity for underrepresented and marginalized students and the institutions that serve them to create systems that can build and sustain their success. As such, one of her main goals at the Institute is to ensure that individuals and communities are uplifted in ways that promote personal and communal well-being and positivity.

Mike Knapp,

PH.D. + Data Manager & Researcher

Mike Knapp, Ph.D. (he/him/his) is a Researcher & Data Manager at Learning Collaborative Institute. At the Institute, Mike's role encompasses research and data management of our extensive data system which covers the structural, academic, social, and cognitive factors which impact student success at all stages of their education, and into their careers and life. Mike helps our team and our pipeline Partners identify, measure, and use data to inform system-level change which benefits all learners, particularly those have been historically minoritized.

Mike holds a doctorate in social psychology from Claremont Graduate University, as well as a master's degree in psychology from Boston University. During his time at CGU, Mike was awarded the the Dale Berger Award for Achievement in Statistics and was an Oskamp Fellow.

Mike is inspired by the Institute's steadfast commitment to equity in education attainment and commitment to building the capacity of learners and leaders to be informed, data-driven, and prepared to advance social impact. His goal is to continue to grow his own, and the team's, ability to advance student success, and community success, through the work of the Institute.

In his free time, he loves to cook - he even spent an entire year learning to make pasta by hand with his partner and they consider themselves almost experts. If he is not in the kitchen, he is with his partner on hikes with their dog George, or reading books alongside his cat Louie.

Ally Davis,

PH.D. + Researcher & Dissemination Lead

Ally Davis, Ph.D. (she/her), is a Senior Applied Researcher and Evaluator at the Learning Collaborative Institute (LCI), where she leads research efforts aimed at improving social equity and fostering community cohesion. With a Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology and an M.A. in Public Policy and Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University, Dr. Davis brings over six years of expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Her work spans education, social justice, and community cohesion, where she has a proven track record of designing and implementing impactful research that drives positive change.

In her current role, Dr. Davis serves as the Research Lead for Mono and Inyo Counties, coordinating comprehensive data collection, analysis, and sense-making across diverse research activities to improve education equity. Her background in longitudinal, quasi-experimental, and mixed-methods research makes her a skilled and versatile evaluator, capable of providing valuable insights across multiple disciplines to inform change strategies. 

Dr. Davis is passionate about promoting social equity through the effective use of data, helping organizations maximize the impact of social programs. She has applied her skills to both urban and rural settings, offering technical assistance to community schools and supporting data-driven decision-making in diverse environments. Her leadership, coupled with her experience in evaluation, social and political psychology, public policy, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, makes her a dynamic force in advancing social justice and reducing identity-based threats and polarization in communities.

Devin Larsen,

M.A. +  Researcher

Devin Larsen, M.A. (he/him), is a Senior Evaluator and Researcher at the Learning Collaborative Institute (LCI), where he leads research initiatives, with a focus on advancing rural education and creating data-driven strategies for underserved populations. Larsen specializes in qualitative analysis, data collection, and database management for large-scale research projects.
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With a Master’s degree in Psychology , Evaluation and Applied Research Methods from Claremont Graduate University, Devin has extensive experience in mixed-methods evaluation, particularly in urban education, community development, and social justice spaces. His expertise has been instrumental in managing evaluations for non-profit and government organizations.
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Most recently, Devin led LCI’s research team for Pomona Vision 2030, a large, place-based community and economic development initiative in Pomona, California that received the prestigious Research Practice Partnership award from the California Educational Research Association. Over the course of his career, Devin has secured over $8 million in grant funding through compelling proposal writing and led multiple large-scale evaluation projects, including a global initiative involving surveys of more than 30,000 students and 8,000 teachers. 

Growing up in a rural community, Devin is passionate about advancing rural education and uses his skills to provide actionable insights that improve postsecondary success for rural students. As the former founding director of Ascending Edge, he led evaluation projects that spanned healthcare, K-12 education, youth development, and community initiatives across the U.S. and internationally.

With a proven track record of improving programs and services, Devin remains dedicated to using evaluation to uplift underrepresented voices and advance positive social impact.

Alyssa Hames,

Operations Team & Research Assistant

Olivia Steadman-Oladipo

Administrative Assistant

Alyssa Ream,

PH.D. Candidate + Applied Research & Evaluation Associate

Alyssa Ream, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate (She/Her/Hers) is an Applied Research and Evaluation Associate at the Learning Collaborative Institute. In her role at LCI, Alyssa conducts applied research and program evaluations centered on educational equity and social impact. Her responsibilities include developing research methods, analyzing data, and preparing deliverables to translate findings into actionable recommendations to improve program effectiveness and build programmatic capacity.

She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in applied social psychology at Claremont Graduate University, where she also earned her master's degree in psychology and evaluation. Before joining LCI, Alyssa developed her passion for equity and social impact while contributing to federal evaluations on healthcare and child welfare programs at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Evaluation and Inspections. She is inspired by LCI's commitment to improving educational outcomes and opportunities and its mission to create positive change for underserved communities.

Alyssa’s professional goal is to continue contributing to impactful work that has the potential to transform lives. Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys going on coffee dates with her husband on their Harley Davidson motorcycles and camping with their Newfoundland dog, Rockie.

Mario Portillo,

Technology & Social Media Assistant